The End of the Line

One from a recent visit to the Black Country Museum, the composition is exactly as taken, converted to B&W and then given a slight sepia tinge.

Way out of my comfort zone on this one, both with the subject and the processing, so would very much welcome critique and advice on both the composition and processing, I have much to learn! I very stupidly left the ISO on 400 having been photographing dragonflies earlier in the day. I do have the RAW file, although this is worked from the JPEG

Comments

Hi Sandra, IMHO, the composition is just right, the rusty old line leads the viewer to the focal point which has good space round it without being central, and you have also captured the IDEA of movement with the truck emerging from the bushes. All very good.
For me the sepia lets it down a little, a straight mono conversion with a bit more contrast would help it stand out more.
All only suggestions, please feel free to ignore. Your landscape trip must be coming up soon... I hope you enjoy it.

Hi Sandra, IMHO, the composition is just right, the rusty old line leads the viewer to the focal point which has good space round it without being central, and you have also captured the IDEA of movement with the truck emerging from the bushes. All very good.

For me the sepia lets it down a little, a straight mono conversion with a bit more contrast would help it stand out more.

All only suggestions, please feel free to ignore. Your landscape trip must be coming up soon... I hope you enjoy it.

The idea is ok, but the conversion to b&w has left the majority of the image virtually the same tone. All the grass and weeds, the shadowy side of the truck - all very similar. This really cries out for colour IMHO, as long as the truck colour stands out from the green foliage. If not, using channel mixer should help separate the tones in b&w.
The composition could have been improved by shooting from higher, looking down more to eliminate the dark strip along the top (which at first glance looks like you've done something to the sky).
Dereliction can be a good subject, and there is a picture here. I'd like to see the original.
Nick

The idea is ok, but the conversion to b&w has left the majority of the image virtually the same tone. All the grass and weeds, the shadowy side of the truck - all very similar. This really cries out for colour IMHO, as long as the truck colour stands out from the green foliage. If not, using channel mixer should help separate the tones in b&w.
The composition could have been improved by shooting from higher, looking down more to eliminate the dark strip along the top (which at first glance looks like you've done something to the sky).

Dereliction can be a good subject, and there is a picture here. I'd like to see the original.

I much prefer the original colour version, Sandra, and had a feeling it might be nice and rusty.
I see evidence of tracks on the left, and although they are not very obvious, through the encroaching foliage, you have made good use of them, having them start from the bottom left corner. I think your composition is fine, but agree with Nick about a higher pov, if that would be possible, and as long as that wouldn't hide the interesting wheels and other bits underneath the truck.
Now that we can see the original, I see that the dark area at the top is dark green trees in the background. I find that area distracting, but cropping it isn't the answer because your truck would then be too close to the top of the frame. How about lightening it?
I think the yellow flowers add a little more interest to the image, which sepia takes away.
I have done a modification where I took some of the grass and foliage into the top dark area and had a little play with it. I then did a Levels adjustment to remove the colour cast and bring out a bit more detail. Also, I couldn't resist enhancing the rust with the saturation tool.
Pamela.

I much prefer the original colour version, Sandra, and had a feeling it might be nice and rusty.
I see evidence of tracks on the left, and although they are not very obvious, through the encroaching foliage, you have made good use of them, having them start from the bottom left corner. I think your composition is fine, but agree with Nick about a higher pov, if that would be possible, and as long as that wouldn't hide the interesting wheels and other bits underneath the truck.
Now that we can see the original, I see that the dark area at the top is dark green trees in the background. I find that area distracting, but cropping it isn't the answer because your truck would then be too close to the top of the frame. How about lightening it?
I think the yellow flowers add a little more interest to the image, which sepia takes away.
I have done a modification where I took some of the grass and foliage into the top dark area and had a little play with it. I then did a Levels adjustment to remove the colour cast and bring out a bit more detail. Also, I couldn't resist enhancing the rust with the saturation tool.
Pamela.